Saffire

I actually think it's cool he's doing this speech. It'll make children bored with politics from an early age. Children are actually very good at being skeptics. Adults don't give them enough credit in this field.

This is a non-argument. It's like saying "Well, let's not focus on theories about why 6 million Jews were killed in Germany in the 1940's, as that's insensitive to the families."

It'll happen, the trick for the Democrats is to figure out how to do it slowly, incrementally. It's like slowly turning up the heat on a pot of water containing a frog. If you're careful about it, the frog will be dead before it realizes what's happening to it. EDIT: This is from a Politico article - The "price" of regulations are hidden, of course... but Jim Rogers is right, Asia's indexes are the place to be if you want to take your company public or trade stocks & commodities.

Well there are two theories on this sort of media: One is that violence in videogames, movies, music, books, etc influences people to behave in violent ways. The other is that violence in these media is cathartic, meaning that if you are already a violent person, and you play a violent videogame, it becomes a release for you. Sort of like therapy, so that you will shoot people in the videogame instead of people in the real world. Both of these theories are wrong, however. The human mind is capable of understanding the difference between fiction and reality, with proper parenting. If you are raising a young child, teach them the difference from an early age. Tell them violence is only to be used as a last-resort, in self defense... but never as a way to get what you want from other people, or as a way to get revenge. Today many adults think violence is the FIRST option, instead of the last resort. Any time someone is doing something they don't approve of, they seek to ban it using the government... and this is an example of using hired guns to do your dirty work.

I think it's helpful to explain how, exactly, you ban violent videogames. If someone is caught selling a violent videogame, you must first warn them not to. If they do it anyway, you then fine them. If they refuse to pay the fine, you've got to arrest them. If they refuse to be arrested, you've got to taser them or beat them with a club. And if they resist or defend themselves, you shoot them.

English is the most pointless, over-emphasized subject ever. The entire class is nothing but a rundown of all the lame fiction that should be relegated to where it belongs: ENTERTAINMENT. I wish schools would spend HALF as much time teaching economics as they do English, because then maybe kids would understand why their entire lives people are stealing from them, taking advantage of them, and pulling the wool over their eyes. But no, we gotta learn about how "society" (whatever the fuck that is) hurt Hester Prynne. It was the GOVERNMENT that hurt these people. Not some amorphous, guilt-vehicle called "society".

lol that's a great quote. A lot of people despise that way of thinking, and call those people "small minded" or "incurious". But I view it as admirable. I wish everyone would think that way. It's the busy-bodies we have to worry about, who like getting in other peoples' business.

Ian, that's exactly my point. Even if we accept all this as being true (and as Josh said earlier, I wouldn't put it past the government to kill its own citizens in order to create fear and centralize power), what would people do about it? Nothing. It's sad, but true. The vast majority of people wake up in the morning, make breakfast, and go to work to earn money. Then they relax in the evening with their families. Even the most politically-active people in this country only stand around with signs or vote for a different political party's candidate. Typically it takes something along the lines of a holocaust for people to grow a pair.

I liked the part in Marx's stories where the Capitalists raped the workers and they had no choice but to keep taking it up the butt or die penniless. If only!

Does Mexico need help from our military? Just let the citizens arm themselves.

Do you want to come to America to work at Hardee's? I hear there might be an opening at at Kentucky location... oh wait, nevermind, it was just filled.

We can all wash each other's cars for free! But who will cook us supper? Plan, plan, plan!

Kite, you can start by washing my car and mowing my front yard! Toodles!

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/08/28/venezuela_videogames/ Ugh! People have this weird habit of claiming things make people violent, like movies, videogames, music, or even Craigslist.

I love how people say that, "I don't believe in gay marriage". Just the way it's phrased is hilarious, like "I don't believe in ghosts!" Just say, "I don't like gay marriage." or more accurately, "I'd never marry a gay man." Because surely you don't mean, "I don't support equality for all people."

I (heart) Chris.

Well not everybody can be as cool as you, Nick! *runs away sobbing*

Okay, top THIS: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/25/772133/-MAJOR-Death-Penalty-News-out-of-Texas Texas admits it executed the man in this picture, even though he was innocent. They claimed he started the house fire that killed his wife and child, but it was actually started by an electrical outlet. This deserves a "Great Job!" sticker:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10320096-38.html Not like they needed it, but it will help when things start to look bad for them. The government is a self-interested entity, first and foremost.

I can only imagine the amount of therapy this couple will need to shield them from their own stupidity.

Taxation and war are both legal. And they are both celebrated! What sort of message does that send to children? "Theft is okay, as long as you're giving the stolen goods to the poor. And of course, you take a cut for yourself." "Vandalism and murder are okay, as long as you have a good reason." The problem is making a distinction between ends and means. In the case of drugs, the "end" we all seek is for nobody to be addicted. The "means" the government provides are arrest (forceful kidnapping) and imprisonment/fines (enslavement/theft). We ignore the truth of the means, because the ends appear noble. But the reality is both ends and means are a reshuffling of atoms, and both subject to ethical analysis.

ceolsige, Portugal has legalized all drugs a while ago, and they don't have terrible social problems. Look it up! Nope, marijuana was made illegal by FDR. Nothing has "always" been illegal. Things are made illegal by the government. There was a time when cocaine was legal, and many housewives were addicted to it (in the late 1800s and early 1900s). As long as people are aware of the dangers of addictive drugs, they will not use them. I can get a cheap thrill from jumping into traffic - but as long as I'm aware of the danger of doing it, I won't do it. A law, a punishment, cannot alter my decisions. Laws are like spells in Harry Potter. Their existence doesn't change reality one iota.

Does anyone else think it's interesting the government needed an amendment added to the constitution (18th) to ban alcohol, but they never passed an amendment to ban marijuana?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/32581463 And the FDIC is running low on reserves... http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.4452bed82adf3124e5884678e236d7fb.361&show_article=1 Real US unemployment rate 16% and rising... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090827/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan July the deadliest month so far in Afghanistan so far this year... Current events predict future trends!